


Six weeks

by Maia_Nebula



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Cyrus and TJ have a fight, GHC + Jonah misunderstand what happened, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, TJ's hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-30 16:10:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19406773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maia_Nebula/pseuds/Maia_Nebula
Summary: TJ-centric. My take on the whole gun issue (no shooting, though).--He no longer knows what he’s shouting when he’s suddenly shoved to the side, losing his footing and hitting a boulder sideways. The pain is intense but focused, making him feel winded, and he falls quite instinctively on his hands and knees, trying to get air back into his lungs.Breathing through clenched teeth, he tries to stand up again.





	Six weeks

He no longer knows what he’s shouting when he’s suddenly shoved to the side, losing his footing and hitting a boulder sideways. The pain is intense but focused, making him feel winded, and he falls quite instinctively on his hands and knees, trying to get air back into his lungs.

To his right, inches from where he was standing, he can see a pair of steel-toe boots. He recognizes them – his dad also wears them sometimes.

The man yells something or the other and basically pulls Reed by the scruff of the neck to his pickup truck. TJ thinks about going to them, but he still hasn’t gotten his breath back and he isn’t really keen on being thrown around like a ball again, so he slowly shifts to a weird crouching position. From there he can see that Lester has also been roped into the whole thing and, within minutes, they’ve loaded everything onto the pickup truck and TJ is all alone.

He places his hand flat against the boulder to help himself stand up, but tears fill his eyes and he has to crouch again. He looks around for help, but his phone is in his backpack, and his backpack is next to his dirt bike, a short walk away.

This is not going to work.

Breathing through clenched teeth, he tries to stand up again.

The time it takes him to do so isn’t even funny and, once standing up, he doesn’t want to bend over to pick his stuff up. But he has to, so breathing shallowly and bracing his side, he gets his phone and dials. It takes him a moment to register that he has speed-dialed Cyrus’ number. His breath catches in his throat, now for reasons completely unrelated to the pain…

And it hurts even more when the call goes to voicemail.

He blinks quickly. _It’s better this way_ , he rationalizes. He shouldn’t have invited Cyrus to their thing; he and his friends were not people Cyrus should hang out with. This was not the type of thing Cyrus did (neither did he, but that was beside the point, as Cyrus is not answering and it is all his fault). He didn’t want to put Cyrus in harm’s way, but he did so. He did so.

He ends the call without recording a message.

He blinks again and grinds his teeth together – breathing is not getting easier and the sun is scorching hot. Everything he’s wearing is dragging him down and he looks at his phone again. A drop (sweat? tear? rain?) slides down the screen and he makes up his mind.

It’s never been this hard to dial a number before and it seems like it rings for forever, but really–

_“9-1-1, what is the emergency?”_

\--

The drive home is quiet, but his mind is buzzing: he knows Reed would never really do anything, but, then again, he thought Reed would never do something like this –showing up somewhere with his dad’s gun– and then today happened. So he reported it. It was the right thing to do. Plus, he couldn’t risk having Cyrus do that and then having Reed find out – no, Reed better be pissed off at him. And now TJ sits with his eyes closed, trying to breath steadily, mentally getting ready for the worst once he and his dad get home. After all, he saw how pissed off Reed’s dad was when he found them arguing about the gun, and he can only imagine how angry his dad is that he got himself into such a situation in the first place.

He tries to ‘unfrown’, but he’s not sure he’s being successful, so he finally relents and opens his eyes. As expected, his dad’s eyes are boring into him and he feels his cheeks heat up, but he doesn’t move.

“Do you have any idea of how furious I am?”

TJ tries not to blink, but his eyes start watering before he even replies.

“I come home after ten days abroad, to this.” It’s like a knife in TJ’s chest. He tries not to breathe. “I’m working hard out there, selling everything I can to give our family a home, and for us to live comfortably, and for us to save up for _your_ future; and here you are, hanging around with Reed and playing with a gun–”

“I didn’t know about the gun.” TJ says quietly, trying to not break eye contact as a tear escapes his eyes. “I swear, Dad, I didn’t know. I didn’t know Reed was going to bring it. I wouldn’t have told Cyrus to come–”

“Cyrus?”

_Damn it!_

“Cyrus?” His dad insists. “ _You just spoke to the police and you didn’t mention ‘Cyrus’!_ Was there anyone else?!”

“No, just Reed, Lester, me and him”, TJ replies, swallowing hard. His dad takes a deep breath.

“Okay, so it was only you four, right?” TJ nods. The tears are not subsiding. “And then _what the hell_ happened?”

TJ recounts what happened, word-by-word, including when Cyrus told him to leave and he decided not to. Crying and talking make his side hurt again, so he starts breathing shallowly halfway through and ends up a bit lightheaded.

His dad listens to everything in silence, staring at him as if determining if TJ’s telling the truth or not. TJ knows he deserves that and shrugs. The pain intensifies with the movement.

“First, you must know I am _incredibly_ disappointed in you, because even this ‘Cyrus’ has a better head on his shoulders than you do.”

“But I reported it…”

“But you didn’t leave. You could be dead, just because you decided to be all cool and stay with your ‘friends’.” His dad shakes his head and sighs heavily. “I’m also disappointed in you because you are lying to me.”

“ _What?_ I told you everything! I’m telling the truth!” Yeah, shouting inside an enclosed space is just loud and, at the moment, painful. Still, TJ can’t fight the desperation he feels. If his dad doesn’t believe in him, then–

“You are in pain. The police might have overlooked it, but I know you. What really happened?”

And TJ understands: _his dad knows_. But TJ can’t make it worse. He doesn’t want to make it worse. His dad is known for his quick temper and he works with Reed’s dad, and anything TJ says can lead to a mess. So he goes with a half-truth that Reed’s dad probably won’t deny.

“When I stormed off, I lost my footing and fell against a boulder.” His dad doesn’t say anything, so he continues. “I didn’t mention it before because, with all that’s happened today, I didn’t even think it mattered.”

His dad nods, but TJ isn’t sure if it’s in disbelief or acceptance. He looks down and then out, and notices his dad isn’t driving home. Worried, he turns to his father, who immediately answers his unspoken question with another sigh.

“We’re going to the ER to get you looked at.”

\--

As it turns out, TJ has cracked two ribs, earning a week off from school and six weeks off from ‘vigorous activities’. That means he won’t be able to play basketball for a while, including the last game of the season. TJ feels like crying in frustration, but he can’t because he’s cried so much today that he’s surely dehydrated. So he just lets his dad drive them home and automatically goes to his room. Maneuvering to lay down is more painful and takes longer than he had hoped, and he’s just settled in when his mom walks in with red eyes. It’s obvious his dad has filled her in on everything, and TJ wonders how a simple outing to the quarry turned into this. He speaks before he knows what he’s saying.

“I’m sorry.”

And he crumbles. His mom gathers him in her arms and kisses him over and over again. TJ suspects she’s crying, too, but he can’t see through his tears.

\--

He wakes up without knowing when he fell asleep, and the day trudges on slowly. His mom helps him shower and change, and he’s left with staring at his ceiling, as he’s decided to ground himself and stay in his room. A couple of hours in, he decides to text Cyrus an apology. It goes unanswered.

\--

Sunday turns to Monday and he’s never wanted to go to school as much as he does now. He wants to see Cyrus, to explain, to tell him he reported it, but there’s nothing he can do. Doctor’s orders. So he stays in his room, feeling sorry for himself and the whole mess he got himself into.

That night, his dad tells them Reed got suspended from school and that he now has to do 100 hours of community service. He also says Reed’s dad is being investigated for improper storage of a firearm. TJ looks at his plate wishing it all away. This thing seems to continue spiraling out of control and he doesn’t know how to stop it.

But then his dad says, “Reed told the police Cyrus was there”, and all TJ can think of is how everything keeps getting worse, and how he probably just lost his best friend.

\--

On Thursday, it happens. He’s once more laying down, hating life, when his mom opens his door to announce a visitor. Before he can get over his surprise to ask who it is, she steps out and Cyrus comes in.

The door is closed quietly, but in the silence it seems it was slammed shut. Cyrus speaks first.

“I got all your messages.”

Not knowing what to say, TJ just nods.

“I didn’t want to reply.”

TJ wonders why he came to see him then, but bites his tongue. He can see Cyrus is nervously staring at the floor.

“I didn’t know what to reply...”

TJ’s voice comes back, but it sounds more like pleading. “I am so, so sorry–”

“I went to see the principal today”, Cyrus continues as if he hasn’t heard him. “A policewoman was there, and she questioned me.”

With that, he looks straight at TJ, with a look that’s between angry and tired. TJ wonders how much he should say about what happened, how much Cyrus already knows, but it’s like Cyrus is reading his mind.

“I heard Reed has to do some community service now, so I’m guessing he wasn’t the one who spoke to the police.”

Lost for words once more, TJ nods again and tries to sit up. Pain shoots up his side and he squeezes his eyes shut, breathing shallowly though the doctor warned him against it. He feels Cyrus hands trying to help him up, but he desperately pushes them away so he can move at his own pace. When he finally sits up properly and opens his eyes, he sees Cyrus looking at him thoroughly horrified.

“What happened? Why are your hurt? Did Reed shoot you?”

His panic is almost endearing, but TJ shakes his head before he runs away with it and answers in a rough voice, “I fell. It’s nothing.”

“It’s not ‘nothing’!” Cyrus insists. “ _When_ did you fall? You are the most coordinated being on the planet!”

TJ really wants to smile, but he suppresses it and shrugs. Bad call: everything hurts again and he hisses in pain.

“Should I go get your mom?!”

TJ shakes his head again, balling his hands into fists to stop them from shaking. The only good thing about this is that the pain is intense but brief.

“Let me help you! Tell me what to do!”

He knows he’s probably going too far, but he says it. “Forgive me.”

Cyrus looks surprised and then incensed. He turns and really slams the door behind him. And now TJ knows ‘probably’ didn’t go in that sentence.

\--

When he goes back to school the next Monday, he’s torn between carrying all his books in his backpack so he doesn’t have to stretch to get stuff in and out of his locker, and leaving everything in his locker so he doesn’t have to deal with carrying all that weight. He’s thinking it through when someone comes up to his side and, as he decides he isn’t going to make his mind up at the moment, he turns to the person. It’s Reed.

“You told on me, didn’t you?”

TJ wonders why he keeps losing his voice when people want to talk about what happened. However, his deer-caught-in-the-headlights look seems to be a good enough answer.

“They gave me 100 hours community service, and they made my dad pay a fine.” TJ is about to apologize, although he’s not sure why (after all, this is all Reed’s fault), when Reed shrugs. “So now my dad hates you. If I were you, I’d try to avoid him. He’ll be coming to pick me up for the next couple of weeks.”

TJ wonders if it’s a heads up or if he’s being threatened, but he thanks Reed anyway. Reed shrugs again.

“For my part, I’m sorry. It was stupid and I know I made a mess of things.” He smiles lopsidedly. “I still like my dad hating you more than him being angry at me, though.”

And, for the first time in days, TJ smiles.

\--

Now all he has to do is talk to Cyrus, who seems to be surrounded by bodyguards all the time. In order to work around this, TJ decides to visit the park daily to try and see him. On Wednesday, a day shy of a week since they last spoke, he finally catches Cyrus sitting at the swing set.

“Cyrus...”

Cyrus jumps, clearly not expecting him (TJ has creeped up on him, after all) and his face soon changes from shock to wariness. “Why are you here?”

“I wanted to say–”

“Sorry again? I thought we were past that.”

“I’m not,” TJ replies awkwardly, earning a sigh from Cyrus.

“What is it you want?”

“I want you to forgive me. I swear I didn’t know, and I did report it. And I’m sorry I didn’t leave with you.” He feels his eyes watering. “And you aren’t answering my messages, and at school we can’t talk.” He takes in a shaky breath. It hurts. “Please… I want us to be friends again.”

“Well, _my_ friends think you are dangerous and that I’m much better off without you.”

TJ swallows thickly. “And what do you think?”

Cyrus seems to deflate and turns his back on TJ. “I have no idea.”

Having no idea is better than wanting him to go away, so TJ will take that any day. He walks in front of the swing next to Cyrus’ and asks if he can sit. Cyrus shrugs so he does. He doesn’t swing, though (it’s still painful) and Cyrus seems to notice.

“So how’d you really get hurt?”

TJ didn’t think he’d ask, but he also didn’t think he wouldn’t ask, so he decides to answer. Well, with the half-truth again, but he assumes it’s better than nothing.

“After you left, I fought with Reed –well, more like argued– and in the end I decided to storm off. I lost my footing, fell against a boulder and cracked a couple of ribs.”

Cyrus considers this for a moment before murmuring, “you know I don’t believe you, right?”

TJ turns to Cyrus and frowns. “Why not?”

This time Cyrus speaks louder. “The force required to crack a rib, let alone a couple of them, is greater than that of a fall.”

TJ doesn’t know what to say, so he shakes his head as Cyrus changes the topic.

“I take it that your parents were as upset as mine when they heard about what happened?”

The lack of a segue is confusing, but he answers. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Well, mine were worried. I imagine yours were more angry than worried.” He doesn’t like where this is going, but Cyrus continues, albeit anxiously. “And I heard your dad’s got quite a temper.”

And Cyrus eyes bore into him as TJ feels like he’s been set on fire. He stands up, seething, and instantly regrets it, but Cyrus has overstepped a line he shouldn’t have.

“ _How dare you?_ ”

Cyrus tries to blink calmly, but TJ sees through his façade, making him want to wipe that revolting, compassionate, _understanding_ look off of Cyrus’ face.

“How dare I what? I haven’t said anything.”

“No, but you’re implying.”

“Implying what? That your parents might have been angry? Well, weren’t they?”

“My dad has never touched a hair on my head”, TJ spits out, fighting to not curse or punch him.

Cyrus looks distressed but manages a lukewarm shrug. “I never said he did.” And he starts swinging.

Too upset to sit down again, TJ turns and hates him all the way back home.

\--

It takes about another week for them to speak to each other again, and this time he isn’t the one to start the conversation. He’s at the Spoon, drowning his sorrows in a watered-down milkshake when it happens.

The place is basically empty, since almost everyone in the small town is at Jefferson Middle School’s last basketball game of the season. He’s staring at his hands when Cyrus shows up by his side.

“Why are you here?”

TJ shrugs. It doesn’t hurt as bad as it did before. “Didn’t feel like going when I can’t play.”

“Your teammates might have appreciated their captain’s support.”

“Honestly, at the moment even I don’t appreciate my support.”

Cyrus smiles briefly and sits down across from him.

“That makes no sense.”

TJ shrugs again, but he feels slightly better. “Why are _you_ here?”

“I thought you’d appreciate my support.”

TJ smiles, and then wonders if he can beg for forgiveness again. But it’s like Cyrus has really learned to read his mind.

“Look, all that’s happened–” TJ hangs on his every word. “It was a lot to process…”

“I completely get it”, he says, suddenly wanting to take hold of Cyrus’ hands.

“Yeah… So I let it go.”

TJ doesn’t remember ever feeling happier. Cyrus continues, gesturing between them.

“But you almost ruined this,” he says quietly.

“I know, and I’m sorry.” TJ decides to take the plunge and takes Cyrus’ hands in his slightly sweaty ones. Cyrus doesn’t shake him off. “And I’ll never do it again, I promise.”

Cyrus nods and looks at their hands.

And then he intertwines their fingers.

TJ’s heart jumps to his throat, and the pain returns, but really, it’s a different, welcome even, kind of pain.

“You almost ruined this,” Cyrus repeats, this time without gesturing. TJ’s voice barely gets through the lump in his throat when he apologizes again. Cyrus nods.

“It sucked. And I’m glad you reported it; it must have been very difficult because Reed is your friend.”

“It was the right thing to do, that’s all that matters.”

“It would also have been right to report the rest of what happened.”

TJ raises his eyebrows, confused, and Cyrus tilts his head to the side.

“With your ribs, I mean.”

It’s like being punched in the gut. TJ disentangles his hands from Cyrus’ and glowers. They were doing so well! Why did he have to bring that up?

“My dad didn’t hit me.”

“Well, there aren’t many other options, are there?”

TJ stubbornness steps in, so he decides not to tell him the truth.

“I get that you want to think I’m liar, and feel free to do so, but _leave my family out of it_.”

He places his cash on the table and leaves, feeling as if it’s Cyrus –and not him– that’s ruined everything.

\--

On the fourth week’s Monday he fails a math test, so Coleman says he has to get extra tutoring lessons after school. It’s pointless: he can’t concentrate because he hasn’t seen Cyrus since their mini argument at the Spoon. His tutor seems to notice and she clears her throat loudly, capturing his attention.

“How about we leave it here for today?”

Thankful, he nods, and gathers his things only to find Jonah, of all people, waiting for him next to his locker. He’s wearing his Space Otters t-shirt; it’s Tuesday, so he must have come to him after practice. How he knew TJ would be there is beyond him. Maybe Cyrus or Buffy told him about the tutoring?

“Hey. Hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

“Not at all,” Jonah smiles. “How’s everything?”

He thinks about telling him he failed his last math test. He decides not to. “You know, can’t complain.”

“Yeah, about that,” he quirks an eyebrow, “Cyrus, Andi and Buffy are driving me insane with their complaining. Is there any way you could _please_ talk to them?”

“What are they even complaining about?” TJ asks, surprised. Jonah moves closer and whispers quietly, “about the gun thing, you know.”

TJ sighs. “And what do you want me to say? It’s all true: I messed up big time.”

Jonah seems unconvinced. “Well, Reed is the one who messed up, if you ask me. But Cyrus insists that you lied to the police and didn’t report everything that happened.” He rolls his eyes. “And Buffy and Andi keep asking why he even cares.”

Great, now he really doesn’t want to talk to them. Jonah seems to notice he’s said something wrong. “Please, just think about it. We’ll be at the Spoon later.”

TJ nods noncommittally. Jonah gives him a small smile and leaves. As soon as he’s out of sight, TJ rests the back of his head against the cool metal door of his locker, and decides he’ll go. He just hopes he doesn’t regret it afterwards.

\--

Buffy locks eyes with him as soon as he walks in. She radiates hate, but he walks to her small group anyway. The conversation dies as soon as he says hello.

“Mind if I sit?”

They all seem to want to say yes, but Jonah beats them to it. “Of course not!”

While the rest look murderously at Jonah for his betrayal, TJ grabs a chair and sits next to him (sitting next to Buffy might prove hazardous for his health). Jonah, ignoring everyone else, smiles.

“I’ve wanted to talk to you for _weeks_ ,” he says. TJ is confused because they just spoke earlier but he hopes he hasn’t showed it.

“Yeah?”

“I heard about the... incident.” Jonah continues, oblivious to the others’ angry stares. “But I’ve heard so many weird versions that I wanted to ask you what actually happened.”

Sometimes TJ thinks Jonah’s a bit of an idiot. This is one of those times, but he trusts Jonah knows his friends better than he does, and sighs.

“Sure. I’ll tell you everything.”

And he does, his eyes on the table and his cheeks warm. He doesn’t have a lot to say, but he orders a soda when the server walks by the table, because he’s halfway through the story and his throat already feels raw. He thanks the server profusely when she returns and takes a sip.

And then he reaches the part about fighting with Reed. Unable to control himself, he stops and looks pleadingly at Cyrus.

“And then... I didn’t see him. I’m sure he was just trying to get me out of the way so he could get to Reed, or maybe he was trying to separate us – we were standing pretty close, after all.” He isn’t even blinking, although his breathing is speeding up and his side is starting to hurt. “I don’t know how it happened...”

Suddenly, he can’t look at Cyrus anymore, so he drinks a bit more, trying to not choke on it. He’s not thinking about anything in particular, but somehow Andi’s voice breaks him out of his nonexistent reverie.

“What happened?”

“I lost my footing, fell on a boulder,” he chokes out, mortified that his eyes are watering. “Cracked two ribs,” he adds brokenly.

Buffy speaks next, almost tentatively.

“Did Lester push you?”

It makes sense that they’d reach that conclusion: they only knew that Lester had been there with him and Reed. TJ looks at Cyrus again and swallows. He can feel a tear escaping and he dries it with the back of his hand before looking at his glass again.

“TJ,” Cyrus asks, “was your dad there?”

He can _hear_ the others suck in a breath. He quickly shakes his head.

“You can tell us,” Jonah insists softly. TJ can no longer stop the tears, but he shakes his head all the same.

“No, Cyrus. Reed’s dad was.”

This time he leaves without paying. No one says anything.

\--

He stays home the next day. His dad calls the school without asking what’s wrong, so TJ knows he must have looked pretty upset when he came home last night. In fact, he’s getting upset just thinking about it, so he tries to concentrate on imaginary patterns in his head.

He hears his door open.

“I said that you were not feeling well, so I made you stay home,” his dad says. TJ nods and thanks him. His father still lingers in the doorway.

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but we love you, and we’re here for you if you feel like talking about it, ok?”

TJ makes an effort and smiles.

\--

He receives a text midmorning from Jonah, asking him where he is, and ignores it. An hour later he receives one from Cyrus which only says “I’m sorry”. It’s harder, but he ignores that one, too.

\--

He isn’t surprised when his mom announces visitors that evening and he has to walk into the living room to find the four people he wanted to avoid gathered in it. He sighs.

“What are you doing here?”

“We wanted to check up on you, to see if you were okay.” He really wants to roll his eyes, but he doesn’t. Andi continues. “You know, since you didn’t come to school today.”

“I’m fine. Just wasn’t feeling it.”

But Buffy doesn’t buy it, and she isn’t one to fool around with pleasantries.

“Because you're in pain? Guess what could have helped: reporting him, too.”

TJ shrugs and places his back against the wall. “It was pointless. I don’t think he meant to do it, and he’s never hit Reed, so it didn’t make sense to involve Child Services over nothing.”

“It isn’t nothing. Stop saying it is.” Jonah counters, frowning. “I heard Reed told you his dad hated you and to stay away from him ‘just in case’. That’s just abuse waiting to happen.”

TJ shakes his head and moves forward.

“It’s just an expression. His dad was frustrated, and I get that.”

“But he should have been angry at Reed, not at you.”

“Buffy, if he’d only had to ground Reed, that would have been the case, but the fine and the suspension and the community service? That’s on me.”

“So you think you deserved it?”

TJ shrugs.

“It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. I’ll be fine in two weeks and hopefully everyone will have forgotten about it by then.”

His visitors don’t seem to like his answer to Cyrus’ question, but TJ doesn’t particularly care. He’s about to sigh when Buffy suddenly hugs him.

“You didn’t deserve this,” she whispers and pulls him closer, and TJ finds himself burying his face in her coconut-scented hair. “It’s not your fault, and I’m sorry, truly sorry, to have made you think you did. You don’t have to tell anyone if you don’t want to, but I’m here for you if you ever need me.”

She sniffles and pulls back, keeping her arms around him.

“Got it?”, she says so the others can hear her.

He gives her a watery smile.

“Got it.”

She smiles back and lets go, and he just stares. The others do too until Andi steps forward and takes his hand.

“I won’t forget about it in two weeks, but I’m here for you for as long as you need.”

TJ nods, and Buffy and Andi move towards the door. Buffy is still sniffling, and Jonah looks at her at the sound before turning to TJ.

“Sorry,” he says simply, but it’s obvious he means it. “You have my number. Write me.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Jonah briefly squeezes TJ’s shoulder before stepping back, and now only Cyrus is left next to the couch.

“You guys go ahead. I’m... I’m going to stay a little longer.”

TJ is surprised but the others aren’t, and soon he’s alone with Cyrus in his living room. He tries not to stare, in part because it’s rude, in part because Cyrus’ fidgeting makes him nervous. And then Cyrus hugs him, too.

Cyrus is clearly trying to avoid TJ’s ribs, making him smile, and he hugs Cyrus back less delicately. After imagining it so many times, he can finally breathe in whatever it is Cyrus smells like, something intoxicating and so… _him_. The warmth spreads from his chest to, well, everywhere, and he smiles.

But he feels Cyrus’ jaw moving against his shoulder. Has he been talking all this time? TJ’s cheeks burn and he pulls back to look at Cyrus’ face, only to find he’s not meeting his eyes.

“I’m sorry?” He asks.

Cyrus seems dejected and starts to let go.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.”

“No, wait, tell me.” Cyrus shakes his head, so TJ insists. “Please…”

“I... I said I was worried about you, and then angry at you, and then worried about you…” Cyrus replies. “And the cycle keeps repeating itself. It’s exhausting…”

TJ nods.

“So I want it to stop. I want us to be friends again, too.”

TJ can feel himself grinning like a crazy person as he hugs Cyrus again with all his strength. A somewhat strangled chuckle escapes Cyrus, who, much more gently, returns the hug.


End file.
